Want a sneak peek at future electronics for the outdoors? At last week's massive Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, REI's product team of Mike McCarty and Christopher Fajardo scoured the halls seeking out the latest gadgets that promise real function in outdoor settings. (OK, most are just plain fun, too.)

Below are a few items that were attracting attention. Some aren't yet in production, but we hope to offer one or more of these in REI stores later this year.

Cereberus global communication system. Much like the DeLorme inReach satellite messenger, Cereberus promises to let you send and receive messages from anywhere. It is designed to work with both iPhone, Android and Blackberry. You can even set it up to deliver weather, health or even political alerts based on your location when traveling abroad. No yearlong service agreements.

Liquid Image EGO HD action camera. This tiny action cam records in 4 modes: 1080p video at 30 fps, 720p video at 60 fps (for capturing fast action with smooth motion), 12-megapixel still photo, and continuous photo. Bonus: It is WiFi-enabled so you can view output in real time on a smartphone or tablet.

Smartphone video stabilizer. Made by the same people who created the Oscar-winning Steadicam for motion pictures, this is designed to reduce the shakiness when filming action.

Optrix HD sport case. This claims to turns any iPhone or iPod Touch into an HD action cam. Also offered: apps that would allow you to add speed, track maps, lap times and G-force data right into your recordings.

As a counterpoint to all of this high-tech glitz, see The REI Blog tribute to enduring low-tech outdoor gear published last week.